Sampling improvements in atomic absorption spectroscopy

Atomic absorption spectroscopy is being used as a routein method to determine sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper and many other metallic elements in oils, fats, milk and other substances. Copper and iron can be measured directly in milk without sample preparation. When highly acidified samples are run, a new plastic-lined nebulizer is useful to prevent spurious results due to corrosion. A new sampling device, the Graphite Furnace, can analyze extremely small samples and gives detection limits in the picogram (10⁻¹² g) range. One of 28 papers presented at the Symposium, “Metal-Catalyzed Lipid Oxidation,” ISF-AOCS World Congress, Chicago, September 1970.